Letters to the Editor for Sept. 23, 2014

Malvern war memorial vulnerable without protection

I am a Malvern alumnus. The statue has been the target of vandals for over 45 years. The solution is to move it inside.

If and when the vandals are caught and convicted, the next part of the solution is to sue the family for damages. The family will need a lawyer at about $400 per hour and then face the penalty. When people start paying for the behaviour of their kids, you may find that we have a big part of the solution.

In our country we punish offenders two ways. One is to take away freedom and the other is to take money. So what are we waiting for? If and when these vandals are caught, Malvern should lay a claim against the families (assuming these are young offenders) and recover costs. This may set a very important precedent!

By the way, as I write this, I recall a time around 1968 when the war memorial was covered in paint. We always thought it was another school. It was a Malvern student who did it as a reaction to some incident he had with the administration or student council. That student is now a religious official and atoned for his sins by confessing in the Toronto Star a few years ago.

Bob Murdoch

 

Sports idols can be role models

What responsibility does captaincy infer? Does good strong leadership result from good words and good acts?  Yes.

Does winning always result?  The best team always wins; just as each moment displays one’s best effort – otherwise, a different act would have occurred. So next time … meditation, reflection, review, contemplation works … if one is serious.

The best examples of words and actions become the critical determiner of effective leadership.

Who is the best athletic role model in Canada?  Steve Nash, Sydney Crosby or Christine St. Clair?

Maybe Serena Williams is correct to believe that great players have no heroes, but rather invade athletic competition aggressively to win at all costs.

Is deliberate harm okay? Yes, if combativeness is a physical requirement, then hurtful, seriously painful and debilitating natural consequences are “a given” and no complaints or tears exist.

Is sport socially-accepted war, so athletes become rich warriors?  Money solves the pain, eh?

Be satisfied with your best and, if your daily effort creates improvements then, perhaps, you lead naturally by example as “the best.”

“What you do speaks so LOUD, I cannot hear what you are saying.”

That is my quote for dedicated players (people) being led best by the person in the mirror … like Michael Jackson said.

“Make the change, bro!” It’s YOUR responsibility out of self-respect and respect for the game, regardless of public opinion.  Success is your responsibility, so team or society benefits, too.

Set the example.

Wayne Clutterbuck

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